Our Spin on Eldritch
The originality of Guilford College’s production of this show developed my performance experience in a unique way. The majority of the action on stage was broken up into little vignettes on movable platforms that were rotated by members of the cast who were not in that particular scene. When the actors were not moving a platform they were seated just offstage, still in the full view of the audience and still in the world of the play. While Rimers is not a long production, having to be 100% present and in character through the entire show was demanding. I was only successful in maintaining focus by keeping disciplined during the rehearsal process to constantly investigate my circles of concentration the entire time. Eventually I found a new level of freedom as an actor because I was free of any “on/off switch” of a curtain, so as long as I had my focus, I was in Eldritch and I knew it.
On Playing Skelly
I consider myself particularly fortunate to be given the opportunity of the role of Skelly Manor in The Rimers of Eldritch. Skelly is one of those character that could all too easily be taken as a rediculous drunk old man whom an actor can have a lot of fun with. On the other hand, he can be explored and given the respectful approach his character deserves and give the actor a muchly rewarding experience.
I have had a number of rather lengthy monologues in past productions such as Spring Awakening and Rumors, however Skelly’s rant in The Rimers of Eldritch posed a number of unique challenges. The speech includes at the very least five different episodes of Skelly’s life from the time he was eighteen until the time of the play where he is in his sixties. This monologue was a blessing and a curse; while it contained a wealth of useful information for an actor about Skelly Manor, the pace at which he jumps between, over and across ideas seemed overwhelming at first.
I really had to take a step back and build Skelly from the society he was born into of the midwestern United States at the turn of the century. I had a fascinating timeline to fill for a man who lived and survived while his country went through four major conflicts, the dawn of manned flight, the Great Depression, the New Deal, the birth of television and everything inbetween. It was easy to get distracted in research and go down rabbit holes that were ultimately useless to developing Skelly for the play. I had to concentrate on making him personal, with personal questions like what was his father like? How many bones has he broken in his life? How does his back feel after walking around the town for eight hours? Does he masturbate to the girls he peeps in on? What is his favorite food from Cora’s cafe?
